Pennsylvania Online Sports Betting: Best Sites Revealed

Pennsylvania was the seventh state to legalize sports betting in America – and, boy, I bet you’re glad it did!

Pennsylvania online sports betting is now completely official. It’s a lot of fun, and it pumps up the excitement whenever you’re watching sports. 

Like you, I love watching sports and betting online. As such, I’ve already taken the time to test out all the Pennsylvania sportsbooks that are now available to us. DraftKings was my personal favorite, thanks to its awesome signup bonus and sports variety, but there are a number of sportsbooks that are worth checking out.

In this review, I’m going to cover the top Pennsylvania sportsbook. I’ll also be taking a look at what Pennsylvania online sports betting means and how it works, and I’ll be answering your most popular questions. 

Let’s make a start.

Top 5 Sportsbooks In Pennsylvania For Sport Betting

RANK SPORTBOOK FEATURES PLAY

1

DraftKings

  • $25 no deposit bonus when you first signup
  • Great for beginners
  • In-game betting available
  • Sleek user interface
  • Reputable brand with years’ of experience

2

FanDuel Sportsbook

  • FanDuel Sportsbook will double your first deposit up to $100
  • Great for NFL betting
  • Daily fantasy sports offered
  • Trusted name
  • Up-to-the-minute statistics to help you place better bets

3

BetMGM

  • Up to $500 risk-free bet when you make your first deposit
  • Exclusive Special
  • $50 Free On Sign Up
  • $1,000 Risk Free Bet

4

BetRivers

  • 100% match bonus when you make your first deposit up to $250
  • Online casino available
  • A good amount of promotions
  • Lots of sports variety
  • Excellent customer support

5

FoxBet

  • Up to $500 risk-free bet when you make your first deposit
  • $20 no deposit bonus
  • Live bets available
  • Great mobile app
  • Desktop version is very convenient

How Online Sports Betting Works In Pennsylvania: Everything You Need To Know

Pennsylvania Sports Betting Launch

Sports betting was officially banned and made illegal in Pennsylvania all the way back in 1992. This was part of a widespread ban that covered most of the U.S. Fast-forward to 2018, and New Jersey became the first U.S. state to legalize online sports betting finally.

More states quickly followed, with Pennsylvania being the seventh U.S. state to officially legalize online sports betting. The Hollywood Casino quickly took its first bets in November, and towards the end of that year, more casinos (online and offline) were opening up sportsbooks and taking sports bets. 

Since then, more sportsbooks have requested and obtained licenses that allow them to operate in the state of Pennsylvania. Despite concerns expressed by the NFL about consumer data and protections, online sportsbooks continue to take bets from Pennsylvania residents, and sports betting continues to be 100% legal here. 

How To Bet On Sports 

Betting on sports can seem a bit daunting if you’ve never done it before. But don’t worry – sports betting is really simple once you’ve done it the first time. The only worry you’ll have going forward is making sure you put the right bets on!

The first thing you need to do is choose a legal sports betting site. Earlier in this article, I covered the top 5 legal sports betting sites in Pennsylvania, with DraftKings being my top pick. FanDuel is good, too.

Once you’ve done that, you need to create an account. The sportsbook will walk you through the process, and it shouldn’t take longer than 5 minutes. Then, you’re free to make your first deposit and grab the welcome bonus. 

Armed with the welcome bonus, the next step is to take a look at the sporting events that are currently available. Once you’ve found a sporting event you like the look of, have a closer look at the bets that are available. Then, just pick a bet and see what the odds are like. Do they make sense to you? Is there value here? 

If you’re satisfied, it’s time to place your stake (the amount of money you want to wager). Then, just take a deep breath and hit the “bet” button. 

And that’s it! All you now need to do is sit back and wait for the conclusion of the event you’ve just bet on. 

Which Pennsylvania Casinos Have Sportsbooks? 

When sports betting was legalized in the U.S., online casinos soon started opening sportsbooks. The beauty of this is that, whenever you’re a bit bored of sports betting (or casino games), or if there are currently no sporting events that catch your eye, you can flip between the rooms. An online casino and a sportsbook is just way more fun. 

Here are the best Pennsylvania casinos that also have sportsbooks:

   DraftKings

DraftKings is the most famous (and popular) online casino operating in Pennsylvania. It launched its sportsbook as soon as sports betting was legalized in the state, and it maintains very good operation.

Its sportsbook is better than its casino, which makes it the ideal choice for sports bettors who don’t mind having the occasional flutter on casino games. 

DraftKings casino arm offers a modest collection of table games, including roulette and poker, while liver dealer games and video poker is also available. That said, DraftKings video poker consists of just two types of games and isn’t the most comprehensive I’ve seen. There are 60 slot games available to play, too, and you can wager as little as $0.01. 

In terms of its sportsbook, DraftKings offers more sports variety than any other Pennsylvania sports betting site. All the big sports are covered, as well as lots of niche ones, including darts, cricket, rugby, and UFC. 

DraftKings also offers daily fantasy sports leagues and contests and is one of the best daily fantasy sites going. This is down to its user-friendly interface, massive jackpots (over a billion dollars are handed out a year), and huge sports variety.

   SugarHouse 

SugarHouse used to be one of the most popular brick and mortar casinos in Pennsylvania. It still is, but it’s since changed its name to Rivers Casino Philadelphia. However, it still goes by the name SugarHouse online, and it was first launched way back in 2006. It’s one of the most reputable and established online casinos around, and it’s now a sportsbook, too.

Sports you can bet on include NFL, NBA, NHL, European soccer, boxing, tennis and golf, live betting is available, and the user interface is one of the best we’ve seen. 

It’s really easy to switch over to the casino, as the rooms are neatly arranged in the menu at the top of the screen. The casino is locked and loaded with hundreds of slots and table games, and – just like the sportsbook – there are tons of promotions on offer all the time. Entry into the loyalty program is free, while promotions include free daily bingo games and welcome bonuses.

   BetRivers

BetRivers is an online casino that launched its sports back in 2018. Today, desktop and mobile betting are available in Pennsylvania, the site is fully legal and licensed in the U.S., and there is a huge selection of markets each day. 

All the most popular American sports are covered, such as NFL, NHL, MLB, and NBA, while more niche worldwide sports are also offered, including Australian Rules, cricket, and darts. 

In-play betting is available, and because BetRivers partnered up with Hooters in early 2020, they now offer a comprehensive sports viewing experience that includes up-to-the-minute stats, odds, and analytics. This all helps you place more informed bets. 

In terms of its casino experience, BetRivers has expanded from a modest collection of table games and slots, and can now offer video poker, eye-catching welcome bonuses and numerous versions of popular table games. However, it doesn’t offer offline poker. 

Pennsylvania Online Sports Betting Partnerships 

When sports betting was legalized in Pennsylvania, the brick and mortar casinos that launched online sites didn’t have any experience with running sports betting sites. As such, they entered into partnerships with software makers. 

Here are the current Pennsylvania online sports betting partnerships:

  • Mount Airy and Fox Bet
  • Mohegan Sun Pocono and UniBet
  • Valley Forge and FanDuel
  • Penn National and IGT
  • Rivers Philadelphia and Rush Street Interactive 
  • The Meadows and DraftKings 
  • Presque Isle Downs and BetAmerica
  • Live! Hotel & Casino and FanDuel
  • Wind Creek Casino and BetFred
  • Parx Casino and GAN
  • Harrah’s Philadelphia and SG Digital 
  • Golden Nugget and NYX
  • BetMGM and GVC

What Can You Bet On Right Now In Pennsylvania?

The exact sports you can bet on depending on the sportsbook you’ve signed up with. Here are most of the sports you can expect to bet on.

  • NBA
  • NFL
  • NHL 
  • MLB
  • Soccer
  • Golf
  • Cricket
  • Motorsports 
  • Horse racing 
  • UFC
  • Boxing 
  • Darts
  • Tennis 
  • Volleyball
  • Handball 

If a sportsbook doesn’t offer some of the sports listed above, check to see if another one does. DraftKings has the most sports variety, so you may find your preferred sports there.

It’s also worth mentioning that while all the top legal sports betting sites let you wager on soccer, the leagues they offer varies. For example, DraftKings lets you wager on most of the top European leagues, including the Bundesliga and the Premier League, but some sites are even more niche and let wager bet on obscure leagues, such as the Vietnamese league. 

It’s just a case of taking a closer look at each sportsbook to see if they’ve got what you’re looking for. 

What Bets Are Available At Pennsylvania Sportsbook?

Sports betting is so much fun that there are many different types of bets you can place. Now that sports betting is legal in Pennsylvania, sports bettors don’t need to miss out any more and can place a few different types of bets.

Here are some of the most popular ones available:

Straight bet – This bet is super simple. The sportsbook sets a betting line (or point spread). You then have to decide whether you think the favorite will win, in which case you give up the points, or whether the underdog will win, in which case you’ll gain the points. 

If you bet on the favorite, they have to win the event by more points than the set point spread. If you take a punt on the underdog, it either just has to win, or at least lose less than the point spread. 

The money line bet – Another really popular one, the money line bet is similar to the straight bet. In fact, the only difference is that there’s no point spread. Other than that, you’re still betting on either the favorite or the underdog to win the sporting event outright. 

A money line bet on a favorite might look like this: 

LA Lakers (+120)

In this example, if you placed a $100 on the LA Lakers to win, you would win $120. 

A money line bet on an underdog might look like this: 

Chicago Bulls (-125)

In this example, if you placed a $100 stake on the Bulls to win, you would win $125. 

Total line bet – In the total line bet, the sportsbook decides on a combined final total of points between both times. For example, let’s say the Lakers are playing the Bulls, and the sportsbook decides that there will be 195 combined total points by the end of the play. It’s then up to you to decide if the combined final total of points will be more or less than 195. 

The total line bet is popular, but it’s typically only used in certain sports, such as soccer, basketball, and football. Also, you can place a total line bet in-play: As the game progresses, the sportsbook changes their set number of points. 

Parlay bet – Another bet you can place in Pennsylvania is the parlay bet. This is when you group together a couple of picks (at least two) into one bet. For example, you might pick the Lakers, the Bucks, and the Jazz all to win. 

A parlay is exciting because it means you’re betting on the outcome of a few games all at the same time. And the more picks you add to the bet, the greater the amount of money you’ll win. 

Odds are adjusted each time you add a new pick to a parlay bet. The key is to pick a few favorites but to add at least one underdog so that the odds widen a bit and the amount of money you’ll stand to win increases. If you stick to just favorites, you won’t get a huge return. 

It’s also worth mentioning that if just one of your picks fails to win, the whole bet loses. 

Teaser bet – A teaser is a tad similar to a parlay in that you group together a couple of picks into one bet. However, a teaser allows you to adjust the point spreads so that your chances of winning increase, but your overall payout decreases. 

Teaser bets can be exciting, but they’re often just as hard to get right as parlay bets. 

Taking Advantage of Bonuses and Rewards

One of the best things about signing up for a sports betting site is that you get treated to a few bonuses and rewards. The Pennsylvania sportsbooks’ bonuses and rewards are no different from those offered by sportsbooks in any other part of the U.S.

Here are some ones to look out for when choosing a sports betting site:

Welcome bonus – Every sports betting site offers a welcome bonus as a way of getting you to signup in the first place. Some, such as DraftKings, offer a no welcome deposit bonus, which means you don’t need to deposit any of your own money before getting your hands on the bonus.

However, most sportsbooks offer to match your first deposit. FanDuel, for example, doubles your first deposit of up to $100. This means if you make a first deposit of $100, you’ll be rewarded with an extra $100 to play around with. All welcome bonuses come with terms, conditions, and wagering requirements, so make sure you read them first.

To grab any kind of welcome bonus, you need to create an account and take the next step, which usually means making the first deposit. 

Reload bonuses – A reload bonus rewards you whenever you make a subsequent deposit. The amount is never as big as the welcome bonus, but it’s a way to reward you for sticking by the sportsbook. Some sportsbook’s offer reload bonuses for your second and third deposits. All you need to grab them is to make those deposits. 

Bonus on losses – Every now and then, sportsbooks might run a promotion where they refund some of your losses. For example, they might run a tennis promotion over a particular weekend where they’ll refund 10% of all your losses on any tennis bets you place. 

Loyalty bonuses – Loyalty bonuses are offered to regular players. These vary from site to site and usually involve loyalty points. Each time you make a deposit over a certain amount, or place a bet, you’ll accrue X number of points. Over time, these points can be redeemed for perks, such as free bets or even cash. 

Pennsylvania Sports Betting Laws

Pennsylvania sports betting laws largely mirror the betting laws in all other U.S. states. They’re very simple and should be easy to follow:

  • You must be over the age of 21 to bet on sports
  • You need to be within state lines to bet at a Pennsylvania sports betting site
  • You must not be on any self-exclusion list 
  • You don’t have to be an actual resident of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Sports Betting FAQ: Your Questions Answered

Sports betting has been 100% legal in Pennsylvania since 2018. However, you must be aged 21 or over to place bets.

You can start placing bets as soon as you’ve opened an account at a sports betting site, such as DraftKings.

You must be 21 or over to bet in Pennsylvania legally.

Yes! Whether you want to bet on the Eagles, the Steelers of the 76ers, you’re free to go right ahead.

You don’t have to live in Pennsylvania to bet with a Pennsylvanian sportsbook, but you must be in the area when you place your bet.

Yes. All the best online casinos and sportsbooks, such as SugarHouse, offer a mobile sports betting experience. Some mobile apps are better than others, but all offer the same sporting events as the desktop versions.

Conclusion

Pennsylvania sports betting has been legal and up and running since 2018. More and more casinos are opening sportsbooks, and there are now more sports betting sites to choose from than ever.

DraftKings is my personal top pick for its sports variety and bonuses, but whatever site you choose, the aim of the game is to grab the welcome bonus and study the markets and odds. But more than anything, make sure you have fun.

Go get some!

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